Doppelgänger
by Lucy Morningstar
Summary: Years after the well sealed up following Naraku's defeat, a ghost from Kagome's past comes to visit. A ghost who looks exactly like someone she used to know, 500 years ago. A short fic. *COMPLETED*
1. The Familiar Ghost

Just a short little piece from me. I will be dividing this story into roughly four chappies-or chaplets if you wish. Happy reading and review if you have any opinions of it.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takashashi and its respective owners. =(

Summary: Years after the well sealed up following Naraku's defeat, a ghost from Kagome's past comes to visit.

**Doppelgänger**

**Chapter 1: The Familiar Ghost**

"Higurashi-san?"

Kagome stopped half-way typing through her email. She turned around to acknowledge her boss who had suddenly crept up behind her. _Only god knows how I hate each time he does that._

"Yes sir?"

"I have an appointment at four at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. I want you to pack up by 3.30, and follow me. You can call it a day after that."

"Alright sir."

Kagome's boss turned to leave, then he paused in his tracks.

"This is a very important client I'm meeting. So don't bungle up like you did last time, okay?"

Kagome's body blushed under her dress and tweed jacket.

"I won't sir. Promise."

She turned back to resume on her email, her body still warm from embarrassment. Apparently she had accompanied her boss to a company visit last week, and one of them had been offended by how Kagome had swiftly kept his name card upon receiving it. When she got the complaint from her boss, she swore she did nothing wrong.

"You did not bother to read his name card. That was very rude on your part," her boss explained.

_What a stupid blunder!_ Kagome thought. Who knew something as insignificant as that could rile up a person, so as to actually _complain_ about it? Kagome was still fresh to the whole concept of business relations-in two months, it would only be a year since she worked in the engineering company. It was her first job upon graduation and her position was nothing much. In her words, she was just "a lowly personal assistant of the Sales & Marketing manager."

"Remember," her boss said, putting up a finger, "Dale Carnegie once said: _A person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language_."

Kagome bit her lip in mild frustration as she finished with her email, wishing she had been born with more tact in dealing with people. Why must they be so complicated at times? Later that day, she packed up her office cubicle and called her mother to say that she was knocking off early from work.

"So what's this client of us like?" Kagome asked, as she rode shotgun in her boss's car. "I mean, he is obviously very rich if he's staying at Ritz Carlton." Then she wondered if her question had sounded unprofessional. Was it okay to be curious about your client?

"Ever heard of Denzo Motors?"

"You mean the car company?"

"That's his."

"Wow! He must be filthy rich!"

"He recently returned from a Germany trip. He is interested in buying our pneumatic systems. If he is reeled in by my chit-chat, he will bring his other directors to look around in the factory."

They reached the hotel five minutes to four. Kagome sat at the lobby, gawk-eyed and slack-jawed as she marveled at her surroundings-the building was the epitome of quiet luxury, and the way the floor sparkled back her reflection almost hurt her eyes. The strange paintings and sculptures around her held way above her taste. The staff smiled and greeted her as if she was some kind of princess.

"I feel so lucky just to be sitting here," she mumbled to herself.

When she turned around, she realized her boss had already stood up to greet a man who was approaching them. Kagome stood up slowly, feeling a bout of low-confidence. _It's the head of Denzo Motors! And_ _I'm just a measly little shrimp standing here…_

Then she caught sight of the client's face, and her mouth hung even wider. Her hand slammed on her face to conceal her flabbergasted expression.

He looked exactly like someone she used to know.

Kagome staggered backwards and knocked into her seat, losing her balance. Her butt plopped back into the chair in a clumsy manner, and as if she had dropped onto a bed of nails, she shot right up, her back ram-rod straight.

_Omigod, Kagome! Behave! Yes I know he looks familiar, but still!_

"Are you alright?" her boss quietly asked her. _Thank god the client didn't see that! _Kagome only managed to muster a painful smile.

The man stopped before them, and they bowed together in greeting. Kagome didn't dare to look at his face. Suppose the similarities only ran in a few degrees or so…

"Higurashi Kagome, my personal assistant," she heard her boss say.

The man inclined forward to her, offering his name card with two neatly arranged hands. "My name card."

Kagome received it and remembered her lesson, taking a few moments to read his name. "Takeharu Seki."

They bowed again, and this time, Kagome allowed her eyes to travel up his face. Takeharu had an easy, immaculate dressing style. His grey coat seemed to shimmer and his tie gleamed. His eyes did not bore any detached airs of one in a successful position, and his smile was friendly and trustworthy; someone you would want to do business with.

Except that he looked exactly like Inuyasha's half-brother. What was his name?

_Sesshoumaru! Is it him? But that's impossible! That was like, five hundred years ago…_

Kagome's heart thundered wildly in her chest. The uncanny resemblance was threatening to sap the energy from her knees. How could anyone look exactly like someone else, and not _be _him?

"I know a good place we can sit," said Takeharu, interrupting her train of thoughts. Kagome tagged behind them in astounded silence. She was at a loss for words.

_Holy crap, even his voice sounds the same!_

_**To be continued…**_

[A/N: Tell me what you think! ^^]


	2. Blast From the Past

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and its respective owners. =(

**Chapter 2: Blast from the Past**

When the Jewel disappeared upon her wish, so did Kagome from the lives of everyone who knew her in Sengoku Jidai. The portal of time never allowed her through again now that her deed was done, and the Goshinboku well became what it had always been as before—an enclosed space inside the shrine, old, disused. Once in a while its never-ending darkness beckoned to her on sleepless nights, and she used to stand over its edge, staring, just waiting for something, anything to happen. Maybe a whisper, or a flicker of light in there. But it never did.

She graduated from junior high, then senior. Her grades were measly, and she barely managed to get enrolled in technical college. She took a course in electrical engineering which she found no passion in, and upon snagging her diploma, spent a year as a part-time waitress. If she had not bumped into an old friend while wiping a table at Starbucks, she would have never landed a job at Akanishi Engineering.

The Sengoku Jidai became what it was—the past. As an adult she quickly developed a pragmatic mindset, a lone individual trying to overcome the erratic tides of the economy. All the fighting, all the sacrifices she made with Inuyasha seemed to pale in comparison to her problems now. The years stormed through; replaced with new memories that were accumulated, and then forgotten.

She never actually forgot him of course. But like an old painting, the colours faded over time, dissolving into the canvas.

The two men chatted in the buffet restaurant for a long time. Kagome tried to appear interested and knowledgeable, as she clutched her cutlery, but how could she when they were talking about golf?

_Where is all that serious talk about pneumatic systems and sealing deals? Are they having some kind of high-school reunion? Boss seems chummy with him._

She allowed herself to steal a glance or two at Takeharu's face once in awhile. Sure, it had been seven or eight years or so since she last saw Sesshoumaru. The distinctive silver hair, golden eyes and elfin ears typical of inu-youkai in their anthromorphobic form were missing. But his human face still bore a heavy resemblance nonetheless. It was as if he had gone through some kind of evolution.

And it was kinda freaking her out because Takeharu's genial demeanour was miles away from the antagonistic demon lord she used to know.

_Thinking back I don't really know him anyway._

Suddenly a thought passed through her mind like an arrow.

_What if… What if Takeharu is Sesshoumaru's reincarnation?_

She studied the man more boldly now. He was talking about some young prodigy in golf. Ishikawa something. Then he laughed, the corner of his eyes crinkling.

_It's possible, isn't it? Was this how Inuyasha felt when he met me for the first time and thought I was Kikyo?_

Kagome expected a pang of sensation to shoot in her chest over the thought. But there was nothing to feel now, proof that she had moved on entirely from the saga. For a moment she wondered if it was a heartless thing to do. Then it came back—the misery and wretchedness that filled the initial years, almost driving her to end her life.

"And how about you, Higurashi-san? Do you enjoy golf?"

Kagome started. All of a sudden Takeharu was looking at her, and her mouth gaped foolishly for a while, as she tried to mouth a reply.

"I uh…more into synchronized swimming."

She waited for Takeharu to give a derisive snort, but he simply nodded with a smile. "That's interesting. I do a bit of swimming myself. But more on freestyle. Of course, I can never manage to be so flexible as to execute those moves that synchronized swimmers do."

Her boss laughed beside him, something Kagome was unable to do at that moment.

"It's a mixture of swimming and gymnastics," she said, then realized how obvious it sounded.

"And a whole lot of teamwork and coordination."

Goodness! Was she really having a conversation with the head of Denzo Motors? How surreal!

"I'm guessing you do a bit of swimming yourself?" Takeharu asked, turning to her boss.

"Ah, yes."

"Splendid." Takeharu reclined on his seat. "The three of us could spend a day at the pool together when we are free."

Kagome gulped. Something about the suggestion sounded a bit too forward, something maybe only a Westerner would say. After all, she had only met him for the first time.

"You don't seem particularly agreeable," Takeharu then said.

"Oh, nothing of that sort! I'm just thinking I might have to buy a new piece of swimsuit."

It was another hour before Takeharu left. The two of them bid him farewell as he got into a chauffeured car. He had politely turned down the offer for the manager to drive him back to the hotel. As Kagome watched his car turn into a road junction, a strange sense of intrigue filled her, and it wasn't just because of his familiar face.

Someone patted her from behind. It was the staff from the restaurant. Apparently they had left a pen behind.

A Parker pen, heavy and shiny, and looking terribly expensive.

_**To be continued...**_

**[A/N: I might be able to complete this story by the end of the month, hopefully, if I'm not being a lazy ass. Reviews really give me motivation and make my day! So please comment! ^^]**


	3. A Mysterious Fascination

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and its respective owners. =(

**Chapter 3: A Mysterious Fascination**

Souta Higurashi stirred the heavy contents of the pot, then with a ladle scooped a generous amount of _natto_ beans into his bowl. It formed into a big sticky glob, and as he tried to shake it off into the bowl, his sister stepped into the kitchen.

Still in her pajamas, she tottered around with a pinched look on her face, as if the fact that she was in Earth had still yet to register in her head.

"Morning, sis," said Souta, dragging the chair out of the table.

"Where's Mama?" Kagome opened the refrigerator, and took out a carton of milk.

"Off visiting Grandpa in the hospital."

"You want some milk?" she asked him, pouring herself a glass.

"No thanks." Souta took a spoonful of his breakfast, peering at his sister as she joined him at the table. "Why do you look so shagged anyway? I thought you went back pretty early yesterday."

"I spent the whole night stalking someone on the Internet."

Souta's eyes widened and he swallowed his food hastily. "_What_? Who?"

"Just someone." She took a sip of her milk, her eyes staring at the table top, glazed, somewhere else. Suddenly she looked up to him.

"Hey Souta. Have you ever met anyone who looks exactly like someone you know, except it isn't really him?"

"You mean like a doppelgänger?"

"Huh? What's that?"

"It's like a double version of your self. Why, did you meet yours?"

"No, not really."

Kagome went silent for a while. _That's not true. I _did_ meet my d__o__ppelgänger before. _

"There's this client of mine. He really looks like…Inuyasha's _brother_."

Souta was startled. It had been years since Kagome last spoke of the name. No one in the family had ever dared to broach the subject after _that_ incident, not after it had hit her so badly. He remembered how she had stopped eating and talking, her spirit slowly diminishing into that of a hollow-eyed zombie who only knew how to moon in her room. Only after Mama had sent her to a family therapist, which had been a difficult decision to make, did things start to pick up. But it had really been a difficult battle for Kagome. He wouldn't know how _he_ would cope if something like that had happened to him.

"You know, maybe it really is him," he replied carefully.

"That's ridiculous."

"If I remembered, you told me before that his brother was a total full-fledged demon, right? Maybe he lived through the centuries…"

"Souta, that's just stupid! There's no such thing as immortality!"

"Hey, come on, chill. It's just my opinion." Souta wondered why his sister was so riled up suddenly.

Kagome huffed and ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "If he was, he would have remembered me."

"After five hundred years? No way."

She gazed into her glass, her face glum.

"It's still not him."

"So what's your conclusion?"

She shrugged. "His reincarnation, maybe."

"_Reincarnation_? Isn't that pulling it too far?"

"You think I'm off my rocker, don't you?" She fixed her brother with a stare, obviously peeved. Souta finished the rest of his beans in silence, wishing he had said nothing.

Kagome was watching Battle Royale on NHK that afternoon when her mobile phone rang.

_Oh cripes_. It was her boss. _It's Saturday for god's sake._

"Higurashi-san, you're still holding on to Takeharu's pen, aren't you?"

She stammered slightly at his question. Takeharu's pen was at her side drawer. She had been twirling it around in bed last night. "Ah, yes. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I hope you took good care of it. He wants the pen back. He said it was a sentimental gift."

She breathed out a laugh. _Sentimental? That is_ so_ not like that person._

"Is it alright if you give him a call and ask how you can return it to him? I have to go to my son's school today. Takeharu-san is taking a flight back to Singapore at 7.30, so it would be good if you can call him right now after this."

Kagome slapped her forehead. "What? He's going back home so soon?"

"How do you know he lives in Singapore?"

"I uh, did a background check on him."

"Alright." He then sighed. "I'm very sorry for making you run an errand on such a short notice, Higurashi-san."

"No worries, sir. I'll call him straight after this."

"Very good. I'll send you his number in a minute. By the way, Takeharu-san was pleased with your company yesterday. He said you were engaging to talk with."

Kagome's face flushed with heat. "But I… I didn't say much."

She heard her boss smile over the phone. "Call me after you have seen him. Send my regards."

"Yes sir!"

When she received Takeharu's number in her phone, her heart pounded for some strange reason. Taking a deep breath, she called him.

Kagome took a cab straight to the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Instead of waiting for him at the lobby, she went to the receptionist and asked where Takeharu Seki was staying. The receptionist called him up, saying he had a visitor. Kagome balked for a moment, expecting Takeharu to ask her to wait.

The receptionist ended the call. "He's staying in Room 404," she said with a big smile.

"Oh, thanks."

While waiting for the lift she suddenly became nervous. Kagome wiped her sweaty palms at the back of her skirt, and shook herself. _Get a steady grip, Kagome. You're just returning his pen._

They knocked into each other when she was entering the lift. Takeharu and she began to exchange a long embarrassing series of apologies.

"You _must_ forgive me. I was rushing down as soon as I got the call."

"It's really alright, Takeharu-san." Kagome didn't know what to say after that. Her face was flaming. _Like he would ever meet you in his hotel room._

"Now, how about a cup of tea to thank you? You did come all the way after all."

"That's really unnecessary."

"If you reject my offer, I will take it as a direct insult to my goodwill."

Takeharu was joking, of course. But pleasing him also meant pleasing her boss. For Kagome, there was no more space for another blunder.

They went to the café at the hotel for a drink, where Kagome quickly returned his pen. They talked for a while, and Kagome was conscious of how utterly engaged they were in conversation. She had expected to feel uncomfortable and awkward being alone in the presence of Takeharu Seki; he was after all, a big name in the motor business—and who was she anyway?—but it was the opposite, and she found herself laughing to his amusing insight of everything around them, holding on to his every word.

"May I ask you a question, Takeharu-san?" Kagome asked.

"Yes."

"For how long have you lived in Singapore?"

"Close to ten years. Before that I lived in a small house in Prague. The mountains there, each time you breathe—they make you feel like you have gotten yourself a new set of lungs." He smiled to himself as he recollected his memories.

"Do you like to live in different places?"

"Yes I do. I only come to Japan when I have business to deal with."

"Do you remember anything about Japan when you were young?"

_Woah, girl. Steady. It's not like you're conducting some kind of interview._

"Hmm…" Takeharu fingered his chin as he pondered. "The legend of the spider lily."

"The legend of the spider lily?"

"It's more like a curse in my opinion. Have you never heard of it?"

Kagome shook her head.

"When two people meet each other in a path lined with spider lilies, they will be bound not to see each other again."

"Wow, _that's_ interesting." She thought about it for a while, curious over what he said. "Have you ever met anyone like that?"

He took some time to answer. "Yes. Only once."

She leaned forward to him. "And? Did you meet that person again?"

"It's kind of complicated. I cannot say I did, not when the both of us are no longer the same person." Then he sighed, a big sigh like that of a tired old man who had seen too much. "But enough of myself. How old are you, Higurashi-san?"

"I'm 22 years old this year."

His face softened as he gazed at her. "You're in a good age. It's completely normal to be unsure of yourself at this stage. It's all right to let go. You must have realized by now some things are not as important as you thought they were. Just don't sight of your real dreams, matter how silly they are."

"Thank you for your advice, Takeharu-san," Kagome said. She could vaguely remember her childhood dream of becoming a flight stewardess.

Takeharu nodded to himself, as if he had ascertained something. "Well, I have to go now. I need to pack up my things."

"Oh sure."

They bowed their goodbyes. "I had a very nice talk with you. Please send my good wishes to your boss. Tell him I will get in touch with him once I've landed in Singapore."

Kagome smiled. All of a sudden it didn't matter to her who he really was or who he looked like. Takeharu Seki was wonderful as himself.

"It was my pleasure."

"By the way, Higurashi-san, can you keep a secret?"

"Yes?"

"I had left my pen behind on purpose."

_**To be continued…**_

[A/N: Wrapping up the story soon with the last chapter! I will also post an epilogue simultaneously with the next update. Tell me how you feel about the story. ^^]


	4. What My Heart Has Heard

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and its respective owners. =(

**[A/N: Alas! We have come to the end of the story (Yes, I had intended to make it **_**this**_** short). I will be attaching the epilogue to this last chapter as well, as I see it in one set. So make sure you read it to the end.**

**If it has moved you in some way, don't hesitate to share with me what's on your mind! ^^]**

**Chapter 4: What My Heart has Heard**

"You know Kagome, you still haven't told me _why_ you came here without telling me in advance, and why the first thing you did was to rush into my room and _plop into my bed_!"

Kagome continued to stare at the ceiling, taking deep, measured breaths. She still had yet to acknowledge the exasperated Sayuri, who stood erect over the bed, blackhead remover pasted over her nose and a hairbrush gripped tightly in one hand.

"Sayuri. I'm gonna say something but you must promise me, you _won't_ freak out."

"Faze me."

Kagome bit her lip. "I think I've fallen in love."

The hairbrush dropped on the parquet floor with a clatter. Sayuri rushed to the bed, heaving both her friend's shoulders.

"Tell. Me. You're. Kidding."

"No. Never, Sayuri. Never have I been so mesmerized, so captivated, so enthralled..."

"Your Japanese vocabulary! It improved!"

Kagome kept mumbling in her dazed state. "He's so _charismatic_. It's like he's put a spell on me."

"Come on, Kagome!" Sayuri pulled up her friend's arm, forcing her to sit up. "Tell me what he's like!"

Kagome got up, slouching, and then sighing. "He's my boss's client."

A hand flew to Sayuri's mouth. "Oh my god. So is that—considered forbidden love?"

"Oh I'm so confused!" Kagome's head hung, and she began to cover her face in her hands, feeling utterly despondent. "At first it was because he really looked like someone from my past. I couldn't get him off my mind. And then the more I studied him, and the more I talked to him... The attraction became so overwhelming."

Sayuri stared at her friend, slightly open-mouthed. Kagome was definitely acting weird. She was one of the last people Sayuri knew to talk so unabashedly about a man, especially since she had never taken an interest to them before. They had been friends since college and she couldn't remember when Kagome had last went out on a date. Heck, the girl had _never_ been on a date.

"Is he handsome?" Sayuri asked.

"Geez, does it matter? The guy bathes in money. He's the goddamn Managing Director of Denzo Motors for Amaterasu's sake."

"_What_!" Now Sayuri was freaking out, shouting so loud Kagome thought she might have busted a lung. "God, that's crazy! You're playing with fire, girl!"

"I know right! I can't believe I'm feeling this way over him!"

"Maybe you just like him 'cause of his status. You know, since he's a big-shot and everything."

"No, no. He's a really nice guy. I... Oh, I just dunno what to do. Would I still like him if he hadn't look so familiar?"

Kagome released a big sigh. _If Takeharu had looked like some other man, would I have been so intrigued by him in the first place? Or did I really fell for him for who he really is?_

A strange thought formed in her head. What if he had looked like Inuyasha instead? Surely she would have felt the same way?

_Does it matter? To be honest, I really wish if I can't connect Takeharu to my past at all. I don't want to think about all those things anymore. Things that won't come back. _

_Takeharu is Takeharu. And Sesshoumaru is Sesshoumaru. They're both totally different entities, with no links whatsoever. Whether I should act on my feelings, that is for me to think on another day._

She nodded to herself, still clutching to her face. She felt so much better after reaching that conclusion. _No more. No more thinking of the past. It's over._

She turned to Sayuri, a big grin plastered on her lips.

"Say, Sayuri. What do you think of a triple-scoop sundae at Denny's right now? I'm suddenly in the mood to botch my diet."

"With extra whipped cream and chocolate sauce? You betcha!"

Sayuri scampered off the bed at the mention of food, rushing to the dresser to peel off the sticker on her nose. She patted her nose, twitching it like a mouse. Then she turned to Kagome who was still sitting at the edge of the bed, limp like a rag doll.

"So he is handsome?"

**EPILOGUE**

_Entrusting our bodies to the passage of time_

_Men and women drift along_

_I wonder if the scenery outside the window_

_Will change if we fall in love_

_-_**The Passage of Time**_, _Kenji Sawada

_Kikyou was not meant for Inuyasha. Laughing, the gods had written it as such, and who could oppose them? It would stay that way in their next life, and the next, and the next..._

Kagome wondered how many times she had let this happen. How many times she had veered far off from their camp, just so she could find a nice private spot in the woods to relieve herself. Only to lose her way after that.

_The sixth time, maybe?_

She trudged like a sulking child, her shoes stamping on the dried leaves and decaying undergrowth. She had been wandering around like an idiot for the past ten minutes or so. A big pawlonia tree, its wide trunk draped with long vines, loomed into view some feet in front of her. Kagome frowned, absolutely sure she had passed it while on the way to answer nature's call. She walked around the tree. If she was not mistaken, directly before that had been a long stretch of bushes with red spider lilies...

_Aha!_ The path opened forward before her sight, the same bushes sprouting in dozens in each side. _I'm going the right way after all! Way to go, Kagome! You're not as stupid as Inuyasha said you were!_

She was about to run when the energy in her legs died. A heavy, conspicuous _youki_ hung in the air, thick and malevolent. Kagome cringed, covering her nose. It was so strong. She didn't have to walk forward to realize Sesshoumaru was directly standing up ahead in the distance. He stood at one side of the trail, the side profile of his impressive figure facing her.

Kagome was held frozen to the spot. Suddenly she remembered Inuyasha's warning just before she left.

"_Just to take a piss. Ya need not go so far!_"

She thought he was just being a nag. If only he had been more specific.

Kagome put on a blasé look as she strolled past the demon's back, who stood so stock-still, he might as well be one of those wax statues in Madam Tussaud's.

_Geez, I'm being so rude. We are allies now anyway, like it or not._

She walked a few paces ahead of him, and when she thought there was a safe distance enough, she stopped and whirled around. "Oh hey, Sesshoumaru! Fancy seeing you here!"

Sesshoumaru did not gave an immediate response. Suddenly her eyes trained to what he was doing. From her position, she could see his fingers curling around the stem of a lily inside a bush, each of his long-clawed fingers like small, venomous snakes. White as rice paper, they formed a vulgar contrast against the vivid redness of the flower.

It was an extremely odd feeling. Kagome felt as if she had caught him in a moment of a private act. She waited to see if he would pluck it, unaware she was holding her breath.

"Naraku's lair is close," he suddenly spoke. As if to explain what he was doing there. "When I slay his throat, make sure Inuyasha and none of your little friends come to disrupt."

A muscle twitched in her face. She didn't like the way he had referred to her comrades. His tone was mocking and condescending, and it irritated her.

"We are all in this together," she said firmly.

"Not with me." An imperceptible change of expression flitted over his face, something Kagome barely managed to catch. She took a step forward, determined to reason with him.

"Why won't you just work with us? This thing will be over quick. Then everyone will be happy."

"Because this Sesshoumaru works with _no one_." He was snarling now, and the sharp tips of his canine teeth glinted like a quiet warning. His head moved just a bit, and suddenly his eyes were on her, bright, the colour of the summer sun, however their intent raising the hairs on her arm. "Especially not with some mongrel's pathetic rag-tag of a group."

Kagome's fist gripped. Oh she was fearsome in those days.

"You _dare_ to belittle us? Why don't you just admit we too play a vital role in defeating Naraku?"

"A demanding human lass you are, no?' said Sesshoumaru. "So many things you ask in request."

Her anger wavered for a moment, as his words threw her in a mild bout of confusion. Sesshoumaru turned away from her and clasped his hands behind his back. He was fully aware of the way her eyes nearly bulged at the sight of his hands—_two hands!_ she must be thinking—and then he looked up, as something crossed his mind. An amusing little thought. Perhaps he could do it. Entertain the human lass for a while, even himself. She seemed to be dying of his attention.

It would not be long anyway.

"Play a vital role? Perhaps only you can." He turned to look at her, squarely in her face this time, as a corner of his thin lips pulled into a half-smile. "One should clear up the mess one made, after all."

Kagome staggered. She had not expected that. Her heart palpitated, the sudden intake of blood a sharp pain in her chest.

_Oh my god! _she almost shouted. _How could he... With that face... I've never seen such a disturbing smile in my whole life!_

Her palms began to sweat. She lowered her gaze. Kagome knew when she was beaten. "I'm... I'm done with you," she mumbled. Quickly she headed back to the opposite direction, taking huge, steady strides, intensely eager to get back to camp.

_I wonder why I even decided to waste my time!_

"Cease your worry," she heard him say from behind. She could still identify the unnatural smile in his voice. "For you shall not see this Sesshoumaru again."

Something provoked her. At that moment Kagome stopped in her tracks, and flung around. Her face was contorted in a heavy frown, her squinting eyes almost a glare.

"What are you talking about, Sesshoumaru? I'm still gonna barge in to disrupt when you slay Naraku's throat."

**END**

**[A/N: I always have a problem with people understanding my stories, due to their vague and ambiguous nature (LOL). I hope you were able to catch the ironic point of the whole story.**

**The plot has been running in my head for ages, although it existed previously in a different form. Kagome was actually married with a kid! And what she aspired to do, going to Sess's (or Takeharu in this matter) hotel room just to return his pen, was an indirect symbol of adultery. Then I thought, **_**why so seriousss? **_**So I produced this less critical version instead: a young adult Kagome, bumbling in her first job and trying her best to win her boss' good impression.**

**Enough of the rambling. I'm just glad I managed to complete this story! Do tell me what you think! **

**Cheers, Lucy.]**


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